SLOWLY DOES IT

FOOD

Chef Steve Cumper has a recipe for oxtail pappardelle that will warm you from within.

A FAMOUS MELBOURNE conductor on that city’s central tram route once said,”“everything comes full cirle if you wait around long enough.” It’s especially true of fashion. We’ve seen the return of high-waisted jeans, chunky trainers, mullets, heck, even Coogi jumpers! Food is not immune to fashion, either.

However, not all food trends are driven by what might simply be in vogue. As we’ve seen in recent times, sometimes the item you want is not on the shelves or the price of a cauliflower is higher than hand sanitiser on ebay.

This is particularly true of meat, the price of which can vary greatly, depending on drought, transport issues and breeding seasons.

So it’s a canny cook that seeks out cheaper cuts in order to stretch a budget. I’ve been known to buy kilos of chicken drumsticks to make a curry or a braise and I often ask the fishmonger to supply me with some mixed fish for a pie, which might be by the catch or fish they are unable to sell.

There was a time when secondary meat cuts, such as lamb shanks, osso buco and pigs’ trotters, were plentiful and could be bought with spare change. But, once people latched onto their divine deliciousness, prices went north.

The main benefit of secondary cuts is they reward the patient cook with bucketloads of flavour. Most working muscles on a beast will develop a deeper flavour than those less active, but often more revered, so-called primary cuts, such as eye fillet and steak. That’s why we have to marinate or baste a piece of rump or scotch fillet, which have little chance to develop much flavour in the quick time they spend on the grill.

Conversely, you can throw a hunk of chuck in a casserole with onions, garlic and stout for a few hours and it will emerge full of flavour and as tender as your first kiss. And, like nana told you about curries, they improve with age.

Oxtail is one such ingredient. Once relegated to the scrap bin or used to feed the dogs, it now finds itself in a leading role. With low, slow cooking, its gelatinous flesh undergoes a transformation, imparting a deep, beefy flavour to the likes of beef tea, bouillon or Vietnamese pho soup.

The thought of cooking a meal for hours may seem like too much effort, but assembling ingredients for a casserole and bunging them all into a benchtop slow cooker really couldn’t be any more uncomplicated. Besides, there is something deeply comforting about hunkering down over a steaming bowl of slow-cooked food to fortify oneself against the cold. This oxtail and pappardelle recipe will do just that. Steve Cumper is a chef and funnyman, who lives in Tasmania and dreams of one day owning a fleet of holiday vans called Wicked Cumpers.

SLOW-COOKED OXTAIL WITH SPINACH PAPPARDELLE

Serves 6

2/₃ cup plain flour

2kg oxtail

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 brown onions, peeled, diced

2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes 2 celery sticks, cut into 1cm cubes

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary 1 tablespoons finely chopped thyme leaves 1 small head garlic, peeled, chopped

1 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2½ cups red wine

4 cups chicken stock grated pecorino cheese, to serve PAPPARDELLE

1 cup cooked spinach 5 eggs

2 cups 00 pasta flour* pinch salt

Place flour into a shallow bowl. Lightly coat oxtail pieces with flour and place onto a baking tray. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat. Cook oxtail for 4–5 minutes each side, or until golden. Transfer to a large baking tray lined with paper towel.

Add onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme to pan and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until light golden. Add garlic and stir until combined. Add tomato paste, mustard, red wine and stock. Stir until combined and bring to boil. Return oxtail to pan; return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 3 hours, or until meat is tender and falling off bone. Using tongs, transfer oxtail to a plate. Using 2 forks, remove and discard bones. Return meat to pan and toss with vegetables and pan juices. Season.

Meanwhile, to make pappardelle, place spinach and eggs in a food processor and process until a smooth paste forms. Place flour and salt in a large bowl and add spinach mixture. Using your hands, work into a dough, adding a little more flour if too wet. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Place into a bowl and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Using a pasta roller or rolling pin dusted with flour, roll dough into thin sheets, then cut into uneven squares. Cook in boiling water, in batches, for 1–2 minutes, or until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain.

Add pasta to oxtail mixture. Serve sprinkled with pecorio cheese.

* A super-fine Italian flour grade used to make pasta. Available at supermarkets and delicatessens.